Decanting apparatus.



J H. ALPENFELS. DECANTlNG APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 5 I916.

1,210,392 Patented Jan. 2,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES: N IN VEN TOR.

J. H ALPENFEL'SY J. H. ALPENFELS.

DECANTING APPARATUS.

APPLICAHON FILED FEB. 5; 1.9!6.

1,210,392, Patented Jan. 2, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- i "IA/VENTOR.

WITNESSES: J H ALPENFELS.

A TTORNE Y mm (citizen oft-he United slimes in STATES ULIUS n. anpmmnns, on II'ENVER, dom nant).

- pnonmmu- APPARATUS.

4 man-u I Specificaiion of Letters )atnnt. Application filed l en nar 5, 1816. swim. 76,424.

To all @iwm it may mam;

Be it :knowngthat LIJULIUS H. Amma States, residing enver, .in-1 ;h e eounty of Denver and teof Colorado, have invented cerfialn' new and useful I-mprovex'nents' in Dennting Apparatus, of which the, following is n, specification. Y

. wThis .-inen csn --rel{lt es-'to improve-men t in appail ulpus of tlieemployed for separailing the value-bearing solnhion fromv the treatment; of ores by the aphid process, and its' primary ohjeetr-is to prowdde 1111 element. of simple construction which maybe, InadumjQdinstalled at, a low costmind which. when arranged in series,

' of the liquid from. treatment, Wlthol'lfi.

elements of n}; imention out of any nlotsve power of gravitation,

will hutomatieully. effect clean separatihn solids, in m nher zal under devices or other moving. part5; u

By reason oi, the foot; that, the miipeiffit'ing opem$eindepende 'exeepb ;ltheforc'e.3

desired d istz moe apa.rt, thereby obviating, the provision. ofv lange'nndcostly while by partially embeddinglhe elements in the ground, they maybe installed with out the use of supporting .36

Structures usually. found in plants of thechametei to "which my invention ap'perlzmns.

Withbhe above ancl other objects in View,

all of which'will fully appear in the ponrse of the following description, my invention arrangement of parts" '1'ies of cooperative elements' eons'filuotedl nd.

and transverse section takenalong-theli'ne 2-2, Fig. 1, and drawn 'to n enlarged scale, Fig. 3, a still further enlarged section along the line nat'ecL-aml in. which, 40

eons'istsin .the feanures-of construction and illustrated in the. 9.4::- e'ompanying cirnwitigsfin the various View's' of which like-nafis a re. imilarly desig Figure 1 is 'a. sectional- 1 elevation-0f a searranged'lin accordance with my relatively v invention, F1g.' 2, a composite plan view iL-B. Fig." 2, Fig. 4:, an .en/ larged composite elevation and'ztaransvex se section taken along the line 4-4, Fig.1, and Fig. 5, van enlargmlsection of the lower ylnz ortion of one of the elementssho'wn in igr. 1.

Referring more specifically to ih i'rsiw ings, the elements of my invention .which cooperate to separate Clear solution from slimes discharged from the-battery or tube desired. form in crossmection. i The vat of my in'v entlonnsshown 'in.the

. ward n central, fshallowgel-ills. The. vat

" intervals as {at 7 The trough tantly arranged theymay be pl'no'od at any f housings succeeding jhat infip, whlch the. slums disnaz temm z, 1017'.

oyanicl process, ench'eonsint of a Vat 2 prefaj ernhly'made of plastic material .undof any drawhigs, cireulair in cro'sg section a'ndits lower portion tapers niberiorlyns'nt"3,1?0}

,W'QBu'-4=' Wh1h has an opening 5 for the l-disch'af'g'e" ofwith, a. trough 6 formed in 't of isjeircumierentinl wall,

l for} th.e 'ipurpos e of. strengthening the constmobionij communi zites with the-in.

lie upper :edge

'terior of the viii ports 8' which are oov'ered by a 'filteiln' madium; preferably enmposed of 1. layer 01 clo irh' QEi QhJuS cocozinuii mat "lii'ng, and a'piolgniglv wire'scleen -lofa is best, shown in Fig. 3 of the dl'a'wings.,- A pipeflZoQnnected with the ltsliquid content-s;

In the series'ojeoiip Fig. 1 bfjzhe. drawings, the wt rgt i've vafs "hl ibv w'ni in immediately the air ejected from the nozzle 1-4 which is' nine'as shown in Fig. 5. I r

i The pipe 13 carries at its'upper'end aprotective hoodli which prevents mntei'ihl'fed into the vim from entoring the pipe, and it. supports atn'snbjacent' point, a cone-shaped apron 18 which serves to direct the matennl toward the sloping surface of the vat.

, In inslnllinfthe vats. of my invention.

they are partisilly embedded in the ground.

as shown in Fig. I, eah-vat being slightly lower. than the preceding-one, to permit of the flow of material from one to the other. Since no moving parts are used in the operation of 'the apparatus, the vats may he placed at any distance apart and many: :position with relation to each other.

oy a number 3 of equidisb o b the-trough is prodded-fol: the 1isfgihnrge .o'f

'of- -the'wel1-4. The stamihas a plu- 7 disposed .withinthe lowe flporhionof the j its solid constituents.

Large and costly buildings, such as those erected at the milling plants at present in use to cover the machinery required in the operation of the dill'erent elements which cooperate in the cyanid treatment of ores, are unnecessary in the installation of the present invention since there are no machine parts to be protected against moisture and each vat may if so desired, be separately covered by a roof or a building of small dimensions.

Of the series of elements shown iivFig. 1, the first vat designated by the letter A serves in the operation as a settling tank into which the sllmesdischargcd from the battery or tubcniill, are fed through a conduit 19.

The second vat designated by the letter B provides an agitator tor the slimes which are discharged through the outlet in the bottom of the first vat and fed into the second vat through a conduit 20, and the third vat C which receives the overflow from the scc- 0nd tank through its pipe 1%, acts as a secondary settling tank to separate the remaining mine-bearing solution from the worthless solids.

it will he readily understood that in accordance with the nature oi the ore under treatment, the number of vats comprised in the series nurv be increased and the treatmentof the sliines prolonged until all the solution contained therein is separated from the system of vats, the slimes and solution discharged from the battery or tube-mill, are fed into the. vat A through the conduit 19. The solids settling out of the liquid, slide along the slanting In the operation of I bottom surface of the vat into the well 4 at the lower end thereof, from which they are removed through the conduit 20 and fed into the second tank of the series, upon the hood 17 which covers the pipe 13 of the airlift. Theliquid rising out of the settling solids in the first vat, pas s through the filters which cover the ports 8, and enters the trough 6 in a clarified condition suitable for direct delivery through the, pipe 12 to the, r'ecipitation boxes in which the metals carried 1H solution are recovered. The thickened slimes upon being discharged from the vat A, are thinned by the addition of barren solution which enters the conduit through a pipe 21, and the slimes and solution are together fed into the second tank over whose area they are distributed by the conical apron 18. The settling solids slidingalong the tapering bottom surface of the vat 12, collect in the well at the lower end thereof and are drawn through the outer pipe of the air-lift and redistributed over the level of liquid' determined by the position of the ports 8. The material is thus constantly maintained in a state of agi- .ports, and removal) y tation for the thorough intermixturc of the thickened matter discharged from the first tank of the series, and the barren solution introduced thcreinto through the pipe, 91. Inasmuch as no solidsare discharged at the lower end of the agitating vat 13 the discharge opening 5 of the same is closed and to facilitate the outflow of the solids and liquid through the ports 8, the filters ordinarily covering the same are preferably re 7 moved. The upper strata of the material contained in the vat overlloiv through the ports 8 into the trough (3 then through the pipe 12 into th third vat of the series in which the solids linall settle out of the solution. to be discharged through the outlot at the lower end of the well, and as valuelcss matter, removed to the dump. The weakened solution passing through the screen-covered ports of the vat C, enters the trough thereof in a clarified condition and is conducted through the pipe 12 to the storage tanks for use in the treatment of other quantities of ore.

It will be seen from the above description that in the operation of my invention the value-bearing solution is separated from the worthless so ids automatically and without the use of moving parts, that the solution is delivered from the series of cooperative elements in a clarified condition suitable for immediate delivery to the precipitation bones or the storage tanks, and that as mentioned hercinbefore, the relative position and distances :1 art of the vats have no bearing upon the e ective and continuous operation of the some.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to occurs by LettersPatent isa 1. In apparatus for settling solids out of liriuid, a vet having an outlet ior' settling so ids, a plurality of ports for the overflow of liquid rising out o the settling solids, a

trough to receive liquid passing through said 110 ports, and filters covering sai 2. In apparatus for settling solidsout of l liltlid, a vat having an outlet iorisettling' so 'ds, a plurality 0" ports for the overflow of liquid rising out o trough to receive liquid passing through said ports, and filters composed of screencovered fabric, covering said ports.

3. In apparatus for settling solids out of li'uid, a. vat havin acids, a plurality 0 arts for the overllovrl of ii uid rising out o the settling solids troug to receive 1i uid passing through and ing said ports.

4. In apparatus for settling solids out of liquid, a settling vat of plastic material, havin an outlet for settling solids, a trough provi ed by a recesain the upper portion of its well, and ports for the overflow of liquid the settling solids, a 16 an outlet for settling 0 filters coverrising out of settling solids, connecting its interior with said trough;

5. In apparatus for settling solids out of liquid, at settling vat of plastic material, havin an outlet for settling solids, a trough provi ed hy'a recess formed in its well and openin in the upper edge of the same, and

ports or the overflow of liquid rising out of settling solids, connecting the interior of the vat with said troiigh.

' 6. In apparatus for settling solidsout of liquid, a settling vatcof plastic material, having an outlet for sdttl1ngso)ids,a trough provided by a recess formed in itsewall and opening in the upper edge of the same, and ports for the overflow of liquid rising out of settling solids, connecting the interior of the vat with said trough, and screens covering said ports within said recess.

7. Apparatus for settling solids out of liquid comprising in combination, a series of vats each having a tapering bottom and an overflow for liquid rising out of solids settling toward said bottom, a conduit connecting with the bottom portion of the first vat of the series and disposed to discharge into the upper portion of a second vat, said first vat being placed hi her than said second vat to compel the disc iarge of settling matter through said conduit, a stationary air-lift having an ingress adjacent the bottom of the second vat and an egress above the liquid level determined by the overflow of the same and a conduit through which the overflow oi the second vat, passes into a third vat, of the series, said third vat having in its bottom an outlet for the discharge of settling solids.-

8. Apparatus for settling solids out of liquid com rising in combination, a series of rats each aving a tapering bottom and an overflow for liquid rising out of solids settling toward said bottom, a conduit connecting with the bottom portion of the, first vat of the series and disposed to discharge into the upper portion of a second vat, said 'first vat being placed higher than said second vat to compel the discharge of settling matter through said conduit, means for introducing a liquid into matter passing through said conduit, a stationary air-lift having an ingress adjacent the bottom of the second vat and an egress above the liquid level determined by the overflow of the same, and a conduit through which the overflow of the second vat, passes into a third vat of the series, said third vat having in its bottom an outlet for the discharge of settling solids.

y In testimony whereof I have ailixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JULIUS H. ALPENFELS.

Witnesses:

G. J. Romnoni', L. Rrroaons. 

